Alone in the dark
by GygyFr
Summary: OS! Kelly and Matt go to a construction site at forty minute drive from Chicago. But on their way back, they have a car accident. In the night, alone when a snowstorm is coming, without network to call for a rescue and with one of them unable to move, the other will have to leave his best friend in the cold weather to go get the rescue... Sevasey bromance!
**Good evening everyone! I wanted to write a second OS to make you wait the time to update one of my stories. It's based on an episode of the serie Jericho (for those whowatched it, this is the episode 14 of season 1).**

 **SYNOPSIS : Kelly and Matt go for a construction site at forty minute drive from Chicago. But on their way back, they have a car accident. In the night, alone when a snowstorm is coming, without network to call for any rescue and with one of them unable to move, the other will have to leave the motionless friend in the cold weather to go get the rescue...**

 **DISCLAIMERS : I don't own any characters from Chicago Fire.**

* * *

It was just an ordinary day. Or at least it seemed. Matt had been called for a construction job outside Chicago. The man on the phone had been pretty unprecise, teeling him simply that he needed help to rebuild his terrace. Not knowing the requested area nor the wood to use, he wanted to take almost his complete stock. And as he wanted to finish this job pretty quickly, he asked Kelly for some help, and he accepted with joy. Matt promised to share the payment, something that Kelly disaproved first, but at his insistance, he gave up any idea of rebellion. He would find another way to give him the money. The rendez-vous was at 1:30PM, knowing that it would take forty minutes to go from the apartment to the house, so they had the time to eat and prepare the truck.

"We will take something to eat the time to come back", Matt affirmed.

Once finished eating, the began to load the back of the truck with the wood and the material needed to do this terrace while Gabby arrived at the apartment for a surprise visit.

"Oah! Big job?"

Surprised, the two men turned toward her, and Matt smiled while coming down the vehicle.

"Hey!"

He kissed her like it was the first time before an explanation.

"A man called this morning, asking if I could come and rebuild his terrace. I said yes and there it is", he explained simply.

"That's all?", Gabby xondered. "He didn't give the dimention or the wood used or anything?"

Although Gabby wasn't really good at construction, she knew the basics thanks to Matt. It had been hard to learn but she did it.

"Nothing at all. So I took my wood stock used for terraces and we'll see".

This time, Gabby didn't understand. And she made him understand by raising an eyebrow.

"The wood used for terraces is limited. It's not the same wood used for floors, and the colors are strict in the state. So instead of taking my whole stock, I took just a part".

"Okay I got it! We do'nt use the same wood for floors and terraces".

Applause came from behind Matt. He jumped, turning insitinctively while Gabby had just shifted to see who it was. And it was Kelly. He stopped, shruggling slightly and raising his arms.

"What? Gabby understood something quickly in construction, we have to make a toast, right?", he said ironicly.

Gabby approached Matt, passing her hand on his neck and lowering a little his head.

"What did you promise? To let him help you on the job?"

She wasn't fooled: she knew that if Kelly helped Matt to prepare the stock, then he would come with him on the job.

"I couldn't do it alone, you realize the amount of work that could have reprensented?", he finally said to his defence.

"You didn't answer".

Matt sighed, closing his eyes to avoid her look.

"Fifty-fifty".

Gabby smiled at first, then laughed.

"You know he will find a way to give you the money".

"Yeah, I know. I'm just curious to see what he will find this time to give it".

This time, Matt and Gabby laughed at the same time.

"Hey! What are you scheming together?"

Kelly was doubting about something but didn't know what was going on. With Matt and Gabby laughing, he had to alsways be careful.

"Nothing", the two lovers launched at the same time, triggering a new laugh.

Kelly whispered something to himself and after a few seconds, the couple calmed down.

"How much time?", Gabby asked.

"If our man had already got out the former terrace and if it isn't too large, I would say that we'll be there at 9:30pm. We're two. Otehrwise, we'll take some extra time. Why?"

"Well... I've planned to make diner tonight. A new recipe from Stella. I tried it with Brett and it was delicious!"

"Oh! Well, we'll try to come back home as fast as we can but as I said, it depends on our man. It takes forty minutes to go to his house".

"And you leave when?"

"As soon as we finish to load the truck. I let you the keys? You will be at the apartment anyway".

Gabby nodded and took a serious face.

"Be careful on the road. They announced a snowstorm for the night. Which means..."

"Which means that the beginning of the storm with be there tonight, I get it", Matt interrupted. "I promise to be very careful on the road and I will call you if anything happens".

He kissed her again, as a way to reassure her and took her into his arms.

"Load is done!", Kelly stated after a few seconds.

They broke the hug and Matt smiled.

"See you tonight for the new recipe?"

He finally managed to make her smile.

"See you tonight".

Kelly sat on the passenger side, Matt took the driver side. He tried to buckle, in vain.

"Ah yeah. I forgot it. It didn't work anymore and I don't understand why. I will change it when he'll get back", Matt explained and he saw that Kelly couldn't put the belt.

Kelly smiled and turned to his best friend.

"A new reason to drive safe! For once...", he quipped.

Matt hit him on his left arm with his fist, giving him a black look full of humor.

"You can be a coward sometimes..."

But soon after, he laughed too. The ytook then the road to find their client.

* * *

 _ **After the construction job...**_

It was 8PM at his watch when Kelly and Matt ended their construction job. When they arrived, the owner had already removed the old wood sifrom the terrace and had kept a sample to explain that he wanted to have the same wood. And the terrace was not very large, the time went pretty fast because the owner also helped as he could. As expected, Matt had shared his new booty and gave 50% to Kelly.

"I'm out of strength. You want to drive?", Matt threw at his friend.

"Oah, you let me drive?"

"I know you drive a manual transmission, but you know how to drive an automatic. I'm not even worried. I just ask you to go back to the apartment before the storm arrives while I take a nap"?

"Alright. I have some pressure here then..."

They sat inside.

"Just be careful on the road, and everything will be good. You even get a candy if you are wise", Matt joked.

"Cool ! I'll be very wise then!"

Matt fell asleep soon after, leaving Kelly to deal with the road bring them home. Occasionally, he looked Matt because he heard him snoring almost silently. And it made him laugh. After fifteen minutes of driving, Kelly also began to tire. But he remained focused on the road. Until his phone vibrate in his pocket. It was a text to Gabby, announcing that the storm will come earlier than originally planned, and much stronger. He put his phone back in his pocket and focused again on the road. Suddenly something appeared on the road. He didn't understand what happened at this moment. He did not understand why his foot wouldn't go on the brake, he did not understand why he didn't swerved his way to the left but to the right, he didn't understand how he could lose control of the vehicle. He didn't understand why the truck turned into its side, nor why he lost consciousness after the impact. But when he regained consciousness, his whole left side sent him some almost unbearable pain signals. He felt the taste of blood in his mouth. He had probably bite his tongue with the impact. He also felt a cold browse. He opened his eyes, but was blinded by the headlights. The truck was on the passenger side, he could see it now. He slowly and painfully turned his head to the right to see Matt. But he wasn't there.

"Matt?"

He began to panic.

"MATT!"

He unbuckled his belt and pulled himself out as he could by the broken windscreen. He walked around the car and trying not to cry because of the pain. Suddenly he stopped, paralyzed.

"Matt! Matt!"

He ran a few steps, he got on his knees.

"Oh my God..."

Matt was totally unconscious, inert. Blood ran down his face and his leg was trapped under the trailer of the truck. He got up to try to loosen it, but stopped before starting: if Matt had a broken leg, it would aggravate his injuries. He took his phone and dialed the emergency number. But there was no dial tone. He looked at the screen: no network.

"Shit!"

He had to find a solution. He tried to flip the truck, but he couldn't. It was too heavy, even for him. He went back to Matt, kneeling to check his wounds, as Shay and Gabby had taught him. First a pulse and then breathing, and then think about the other injuries. He put two fingers on his carotid, almost stretching to see if Matt was breathing via the condensation that formed after the exhalation because of the cold. Fortunately, Matt's pulse was strong and regular, and he was breathing. He had to try to bring Matt in the world of consciousness. He made a fist with his right hand and rubbed his sternum.

"Come on Matt, wake up!"

Soon, Matt winced, groaning in pain.

"Come on Matt, opens your eyes".

Slowly he opened them, meeting Kelly's face just above his face. A thrill ran through him.

"Kelly?"

"Hey".

Matt didn't understand what was happening. He slowly looked around while Kelly sat up to sigh. He saw that the car was on its side, he saw that his leg was trapped under the trailer, but he didn't panic.

"No candy then..."

But laughing interrupted his breathing. Breathing hurt him so bad.

"Matt? What's the matter?"

Kelly panicked more than before while Matt was trying to take a few short breaths.

"My chest really hurts a lot..."

"It is understandable".

"What happened?"

"I... I don't know".

"Help?"

"No network. I cann't free you or we would have returned to our client and we could call for help to get you to the nearest hospital or call Gabby".

"You can run?"

"What?"

"You can run?"

"Yes, I think. Why?"

"Go to our client, and call for help, it will be okay for me".

"WHAT?! No, no I won't leave you here! Out of question!"

"If you're not going there, we will stand there and freeze to death! Go, and call for help. This is our best chance. It's okay for me".

Kelly didn't want Matt, but on the other hand, he knew that the best chance for them to get out was to take the road to reach the owner's house and call for help from there. He sighed, pulling out his coat to wrap Matt inside.

"You will be less cold until I come back. You don't move okay?", Kelly tried to joke as to relax Matt.

"Not a chance..."

Kelly laughed for a moment, got up and ran to find the house, leaving Matt delivered to his fate.

* * *

Kelly was gone for almost an hour now. An hour in the cold, shivering. The wind began to rise, stroking his face in an icy breeze. The snow began to fall too. The storm was about to come in the coming hours. He was shaking more and more despite the layer of clothing he had, but contrary to what he had thought before, cold benumbed, and therefore he wasn't really in pain. It was the only advantage of being in the cold that Matt could find. He was hardly feeling his fingers, his teeth were chattering. He was trying to keep himself warm as he could but how with such a wind and falling snow? In this damn dark evening? Soon, the wind redoubled intensity. The situation was going quickly from bad to worse. He was tired, very tired. But he knew he shouldn't sleep. He could not. He had no right. If he fell asleep, death would come. As a firefighter, he knew it. But his body hardly obeyed. He couldn't move, barely. To fight against the wind and snow falling into his eyes, he closed them. But exhaustion had come. The black and silence began to consume him. And had win. When he woke briefly again, Matt no longer shivered. But he was always cold, more than before even. He didn't understand how he could be cold and not shiver by cold? He was disoriented, lost. Then he remembered that Kelly had gone for help to get him out. How long would he come back? He felt the wind devour his face with suddenly strong gusts, sweeping his cheeks, tearing them constantly. But he still felt nothing. This time, he was grateful because he imagined the pain he might have felt. He really didn't feel anything this time: no part of his body. Nothing. Only his breathing was playing with the sound of wind in the trees around him. But his ewhaustion was always bigger, always more... Invasive and insistent. Once again, he plunged into darkness. Alone. He would die here alone. In the dark, tortured by the wind and snow.

* * *

Kelly had finally reached the owner of the house to call for help. They were en route to the house so that Kelly could show them the way because he did't know of the region. Once arrived, the paramedics had tried to cure him, in vain.

"It's not me, it's my best friend I have left behind!"

"How long ago?"

"Uh..."

He looked around to see a clock. 11PM.

"More than two hours".

"With this storm? He is warm?"

"No ! He... His leg is stuck under the vehicle, I gave her my jacket so he could get warm a little longer... But I didn't think that the storm would come so fast", Kelly tried to justify.

"Okay okay. You will show us the way and we will help him okay?"

Kelly finally nodded, sitting to the front of the fire truck to indicate the way. The road was slippery, the wind was quite strong in the trees, some of them lying down, others resisting as they could. After about ten minutes, Kelly recognized the road. It was that way, he was sure.

"We're on the right road".

But visibility was almost zero now. It was almost impossible to see at siw fts. Several more minutes later, Kelly knew this road sign indicating Chicago. He had been there before the accident.

"It's this way !", Kelly finally said, pointing to the road.

Snow fell even more sharply, swirling with the wind that was becoming stronger. The road was almost imperceptible, even for experienced eyes. But finally, a dark spot appeared to everyone. The more they approached, the more it became big and distinctive. And finally, they saw the headlights of the car that continued to shine even slightly. The fire truck stopped, and Kelly went down almost immediately to this current dark form that the truck had become.

"Matt! Matt!"

But he didn't answer, he was unresponsive. Arriving on him, he removed the snow while shouting his name. He was closely followed by paramedics and by firefighters.

"Bring the lifting bags!", the lieutenant in charge of the truck screamed.

But Kelly remained focused on Matt. His skin was very pale, slightly bluish. And his lips had become purplish. One of the signs of hypothermia. One of the paramedics ran his fingers on his neck.

"His pulse is weak and thready".

He then checked his pupils with a flashlight.

"His pupils are dilated. I take his temperature".

He reached into his first aid kit while his coworker took the stethoscope to check his lungs.

"Damn! Agonic breathing! We need to intubate!"

"No ! Try some rescue breaths", the PIC contradicted.

"But..."

"No buts!"

No time to think, he took the balloon and affixed it to Matt's face and gave him some oxygen while Perez, the PIC took his temperature.

"Body temperature at 82,8. He's not far to go into v-fib. Kelly, right?"

Kelly had not let Matt's eyes. He had not moved, he had not blinked. But Perez got him out of his thoughts while tapping his right shoulder.

"Hey! This is Kelly, isn't it?"

"Yes. Yes, that's my name".

He didn't know what to do, he had in some ways lost his cool.

"You can take the place of Marreen for a few minutes?"

He turned his head toward the second paramedic, still blowing air into the lungs of his best friend. He didn't have the courage to speak. In fact he couldn't. He nodded and crawled to where Marreen stood. Although he was shaking, he took the balloon and continued his work.

"Every one and a half second".

Perez then took the wires of the heart monitor while Marreen opened his coat and cut his jacket to apply the patches. Once attached to the monitor, Perez turned it on.

"Pulse at 47, BP at 5 over 3. We have to warm him before moving him otherwise he will never make the trip".

Firefighters were ready to inflate the lifting bags, but in an inhuman instinct, Kelly intervened.

"No ! No, wait for the paramedics to finish their work. If you release his leg right away, he may go into shock".

Firefighters looked each other, not understanding how this man they didn't know could give them orders. Seeing perfectly this misunderstanding sign from them, he explained.

"I'm lieutenant Kelly Severide, in charge of squad 3. I am part of the elite fire in the Chicago Fire Department. I know what I'm saying".

This time, the firefighters understood. They knew squad 3 by name, they knew it was the elite fire truck in Chicago. And they also knew that the injured man was the best friend of the firefighter they didn't know. Then the officer in charge nodded.

"Tell us when you're ready".

The paramedics were warming some saline bags and brought extra blankets. About a minute later, Marreen returned with the heated bags and the backboard, putting it behind Kelly. Perez then tried to find a vein on his arms.

"His veins are collapsed. I'll pass IO".

Perez searched on his own emergency bag and came out a kind of drill. Kelly knew what it was, he knew what he was going to do, but he couldn't help himself.

"What will you do?"

"I can't find a vein, I must go through an intraosseous way".

Perez took a scissors and cut Matt's pants on his right leg. He cleaned the area where he would drill his leg, stood opposite to the wind, palpated the area to find the bone and drilled.

"I'm in!"

Marreen handed him the device so that Matt would be connected and opened the heated saline bags at full speed.

"Prepare some other bags Marreen".

He returned to the ambulance, leaving Kelly again with Perez. The latter tried to check Matt's wounds by feeling the other parts of his body.

"Before being completely frozen, he complained of unusual pain?", Perez asked sharply.

"Uh ... For him feel any pain is already unusual", Kelly tried to joke. "He said his chest hurt, but he didn't mention anything else", he said more seriously.

"Okay. Except his split arcade and a few cuts and bruises, I don't see any injuries other than his leg".

Kelly allowed himself to sigh in relief. It was a good sign. Marreen returned with other heated bags and took the place of his chief. Perez checked his pupils again.

"They begin to react. We must free him ASAP".

Kelly gave the green light to the firefighters. After thirty seconds, Matt's leg was free. Kelly dropped his work with the balloon to pull Matt to him and put him on the backboard behind him. Once done, he took the balloon again and continued to pump air into his lungs while Perez immobilized his legs and Marreen placed a neck brace.

"Where's the nearest hospital?"

"St Mary's in Streator".

"They can treat him there?", Kelly asked, not knowing this hospital.

"Physicians are accustomed to receive patients in hypothermia".

That was enough for Kelly to trust them. His best friend was in need of rescue. They got him into the ambulance, taking the reverse route to take him to the right hospital.

"ETA?"

"At this speed and with this storm? Ten to fifteen minutes".

Perez turned to Kelly.

"Continue your work, I will continue to warm him by all the equipment I have here".

The road was long, like slow motion for Kelly. His best friend and blood brother was still pale with shades of blue, and his lips were still purple. He could tell it despite the mask over his face.

"He may have a broken leg. It would not surprise me", he had tried to reassure Kelly.

But that didn't work, quite the contrary. He worried more even.

"Why he doesn't wake up?"

"This is hypothermia. His body temperature is at 84,2 , it's completely logical".

"And... And he shouldn't shiver with cold?"

"Not below 89,6. It's a defense mechanism created by the human body to ward off hypothermia. He cut off in some ways the cold receptors to make... more pleasant the situation, if we can say that".

"More pleasant?! How the body can make hypothermia more pleasant?"

"It cuts the senses and sensations. In case of hypothermia, it's easy to get tired. He surely fought before sinking into a dark and noiseless world".

Perez didn't know how to reassure Kelly. He knew that he was a firefighter, he knew that he was prepared for this situation, but generally you didn't react the same way when it happened to someone close to you. On the contrary, you became distraught.

"We're here!", Marreen launched.

The trip was much shorter than Kelly would have imagined. The paramedic left the vehicle and opened the doors of the ambulance. Three doctors and two nurses were waiting.

"Thirty-six year old man in grade two of hypothermia after a car accident. Possible broken left leg. IO catheter. He complained of chest pain".

"You didn't intubated?"

"I thought he would regain consciousness on the way", Perez added.

"You should have intubate", the doctor in charge dryly replied.

"I did what seemed right in the urge".

The doctor sighed, staring at the paramedic who was fighting with him.

"Trauma 1. What did you do to warm him up?"

"Blankets and warmed salive on the rapid infuser".

The doctor said nothing for a moment.

"You could have killed him without the proper medical space".

Kelly's blood ran cold as he continued to bulge. They finally arrived in Room 1, and clung stretcher alongside the hospital bed. Each doctors grabbed a piece of cloth.

"On three. One, two, three!"

Doctors lifted Matt to place him on the bed, and soon, they removed the covers to be able to remove his clothes.

"Bring lamps and blankets. And prepare some heated fluids".

The two nurses started running in all directions to bring the material needed, while the paramedics tried in vain to separate Kelly from Matt.

"He's my brother, I won't leave him!"

He glared at Perez, making him understand that he wouldn't be touched by anyone.

"If he is indeed your brother, let us save his life", the doctor in charge shot.

But Kelly was paralyzed, both by fear of losing Matt, but also because of the cold invading him. A doctor arrived at his side to take his place, but again, Kelly didn't move. He continued his work.

"Sir", the doctor tried.

"THERE IS NO SIR!"

Kelly calmed down a little.

"I don't want to leave my brother... I can't".

Kelly would have the last word, doctors were aware. They had to find a solution to keep Kelly away of Matt.

"You're hurt. We have to cure you".

"Not until Matt gets better".

"If he sees you in this shape, He won't be happy".

The doctor was right: if Matt saw the shape he was, he was going to kill him. Kelly knew that they were trying to find a conceivable solution to get him out of the room.

"You don't understand... I CAN'T move...", he finally admitted.

The doctor just beside him understood.

"You're in shock, that's quite logical".

He turned to the doctor in charge.

"I'll borrow Carla, if necessary I am in room 2".

A second doctor came near Kelly to grab the balloon as he finally let go. The first doctor and the nurse went into the next room, installing Kelly on the bed and making him lie down.

"What will they do to him?"

The doctor looked at his new patient. He looked toward the door, toward the window that separated himself from his best friend.

"Don't worry. They will warm him up slowly to avoid any thermal shock, and using cooling blankets, heated solutions and an appropriate ventilation", the doctor tried to reassure him.

"Appropriate?"

"They're going to intubate to preserve the airway and pump heated air into his lungs. It is non-invasive. Let's focus on you now. No pain?"

Kelly was still looking out the window, lost in thought. The doctor snapped his fingers right in front of his face, making him jump.

"What?"

"I was asking if you had any pain".

"Uh... No," he said after a few seconds of reflection, taking up his new hobby.

This made the nurse and the doctor smile.

"You know how to lie".

"I'm not lying. I feel no pain right now".

"And before now?"

The doctor had hit him straight. Kelly looked up, this time looking at the ceiling before closing his eyes.

"When... We had the accident. I lost consciousness for a moment and... And when I woke up, my left side hurt me but... But pain is gone now".

"It left because the adrenaline was released into your body. This prevents the brain to assimilate the pain. When there will be any excess of adrenaline in your body, you will feel this pain again".

Kelly didn't foght the nurse who cut his shirt because he was still unable to move.

"Dr. Martin?"

He walked over the nurse, and she pointed the left side of Kelly. There was a huge purple form.

"Well, you have a pretty big bruise on your left side. We will do a chest x-ray to see the extent of the damage and a CT-scan to counter the possibility of a brain injury".

"I don't have a brain injury", Kelly stated.

"You said yourself that you lost consciousness. It's just a precaution, but I think you just have a concussion".

"Okay, okay...", he sighed. "I can call someone? Before exams?"

"Who?"

"Gabby. Gabby Dawson. She's Matt's girlfriend and... And she has to worry to not see us come back".

"You have five minutes. No more".

He nodded and the nurse gave him her phone to call the apartment. Gabby picked up immediately.

"Matt?"

"No, it's Kelly".

"You take your time to come back! It is already midnight!"

But he didn't answer. He didn't have the strength. He bit his lower lip.

"Kelly? There is a problem?"

Seeing that he couldn't continue, Dr. Martin grabbed the phone and passed it to his ear.

"Gabby Dawson? I'm Dr. Martin".

He could hear at the other end of the phone that Gabby let out a cry of horror.

"It's... How bad is it?"

The doctor was amazed at the clarity of this woman.

"Kelly and Matt had a car accident. They stayed outside for more than three hours".

Hearing no response, he continued.

"I was going to take Kelly to have a chest x-ray and a CT-scan to check any injury".

"And... And Matt?"

Kelly closed his eyes, finally crying.

"Your boyfriend was ejected from the car through the passenger window. His leg was trapped under the car and stayed in the cold the time to Kelly to go get some rescue because there was no network".

"You... You mean that... That..."

"Grade two of hypothermia, whoch means that..."

"I know what it means", Gabby cut. "You warm him with blankets, heated solutions and mechanical ventilation?"

"That's right. You are a doctor?"

"I was a paramedic before becoming a firefighter".

The doctor was impressed. It was the first time he spoke or met a female firefighter.

"They are in which hospital?"

"We're in St Mary at Streator".

"I'll be there ASAP".

She hung up before the doctor had time to answer. And it made Kelly laugh.

"She has her character, our Gabby, uh?"

"Indeed, She is... She's quite an impressive woman", the doctor confirmed. "We can do the x-ray and CT-scan?"

Meanwhile, Carla had inserted an IV on his right arm and had placed the patches of the heart monitor, 'just a prevention' she said, even if he thought it was not necessary.

* * *

 _ **Two hours later...**_

Dr. Martin had authorized Kelly to sleep a little after exams. Carla was monitoring him and woke him up every half hour. She woke him for the third time when the doctor entered the room.

"Okay, the results came back and you're very lucky: you have a broken rib and some others cracked but nothing serious. The hematoma on your left side is just the shock, there is no internal damage. And you only have a mild concussion. We let you rest a little more and you will be discharged when... When your friend will be there".

Kelly felt relieved, but gave a smirk to the doctor.

"I told you".

"Indeed, you told me. But do you listen to the doctors?"

Kelly opened his mouth to reply, but couldn't. He closed his mouth and shook his head with a smile.

"That's what I thought..."

The door still open, they could hear what was going on outside the room.

"I'm Gabby Dawson. I'm here for Kelly Severide and Matt Casey".

Gabby had finally arrived. The doctor glanced at Kelly a moment before leaving.

"Gabby Dawson? We spoke on the phone, I am Dr. Martin".

"Where are they?"

"Oah, oah calm down. It's a hospital here, we have patient".

Gabby clenched her fists, trying to calm down as she could.

"Don't listen to him, Gabby".

This voice from behind the doctor... Gabby's eyes widened, and she advanced towards the current voice, pushing the doctor in the way. She recognized that voice.

"Kelly?"

She entered the room, but stopped by seeing Kelly in that bed, hooked to a monitor and an IV in the arm.

"I'm fine Gabby. I promise".

"Matt?"

Kelly looked at his left, through the glass. Gabby turned on the same door and moved cautiously, the doctor behind her. She finally saw through this window. A man was lying on a bed, a thick blanket over him and connected to a machine that was breathing for him. She didn't recognize him right away, but knowing that Kelly had looked in that direction, she realized it was Matt. Her right hand came over her mouth, tears came to her eyes, she began to shiver. The doctor decided to intervene.

"We're warming him up slowly to avoid any thermal shock. His body temperature is raised to 95".

"He is unconscious ?"

"We decided to sedate him the time of the procedure. He will go into surgery for his leg in a few minutes".

"You said his leg was stuck under the car, right?"

"His left tibia is fractured. This is an oblique fracture, just a plate and some pins to stabilize the fracture.".

"He has no other injuries? At his head or..."

"He has some broken ribs and slightly bruised lungs but nothing significant. His body will be sore a few days but everything should be back to normal within a week".

"How long to go back to work?"

"He will be in a cast for a month and a half to three months. Then he will begin PT. It will last as long as the cast and will depend of hib job".

"He is also a fireman".

"So it will take time, I would say about five months before coming back to 100%".

They heard Kelly giggling behind them, causing them to turn around.

"He will be crazy. He will turn ME crazy".

And it was true: Matt out of work for at least five months, it was impossible.

* * *

 _ **Three hours later...**_

Matt out of surgery, Gabby had been allowed to see Matt. And Kelly had insisted on going with her. The doctor had given up, but only if Kelly stayed monitored for the rest the day, and he had reluctantly agreed. The room was in ICU, and it had worried greatly Gabby at first. Dr. Martin had then explained that this was the procedure after severe hypothermia and that she shouldn't worry because he would soon be placed in a private room.

"He regained consciousness in the PACU, but only briefly. His body suffered a great stress and it must recover. But his vitals are stable and in an almost normal level", Dr. Martin assured. "This is a good thing".

Gabby nodded and opened the door to enter, followed closely by Kelly. Matt was lying in a bed, wrapped in a heating blanket. His face had regained colors, sometimes a little red, especially on the cheeks. His brow was now sutured and a gauze covered the wound. He was still unconscious.

"The cold and wind burned him but it's superficial. You're monitoring himt with the heart monitor, the oximeter and the BP-cuff and we're giving an extra dose of oxygen with the nasal cannula to relieve his lungs", the doctor explained.

Gabby and Kelly sat on the chairs beside the bed and she took his right hand in hers, touching his skin.

"I'll leave you with him. Call the nurse when he wakes up".

He left the room, closing the door behind him. It didn't take long for Matt to wake up again after that. It was a pretty hard step for him. He recognized that constant beep from the heart monitor, somewhat reassuring him before opening his eyes. He was hot, contrasting with the latest sensation he had: this huge cold that had invaded him. His eyes opened slowly, leaving a glimpse of a totally blurred world.

"Matt?"

He recognized that voice. He knew who it was, but he wanted above all to recover a normal vision before setting his eyes on the person he loved more than anything. Once done, he turned his head to the right. He finally felt a hand in his, and saw that it was Gabby's. He squeezed it, stroking it. He looked next to Gabby, and saw Kelly. He remembered all that had happened: the accident, the long waiting in the cold before sinking into a deep sleep.

"I would have had to fix this damn belt".

Kelly laughed. He remembered that the belt on the passenger side was not working and that it was because of this that Matt had passed through the window and was found partially pinned under the car.

"And next time, I drive".

"You can be a coward sometimes too..."

Matt then remembered their last conversation before taking the road to the house. He had inoricly treated Kelly as a coward when he told him to drive well after learning that the belt didn't work.

"You're the guilty..."

"Yeah? It was you or the deer. I could't hurt a poor beast".

"You'd rather kill your best friend?"

"Oh, you're not dead, are you?"

Gabby didn't understand at all, but she understood that the two friends ironically rejected the blame on each other.

"You could have killed the deer, it would have made us a meal or two..."

"And damage the car?"

"She's damaged, you idiot".

"But you, it doesn't matter. I'm so pacifist I would never have killed that poor little thing".

Matt sighed, laughing at the same time and closing his eyes.

"Alright, you win".

Kelly laughed too, savoring his victory.

"You're a bad player".

"Dixit one who loses all the time and grumbles more than me".

"I'll put this victory into the account of your health".

Again, Matt had scared, very scared Gabby. More than ever, she had a heavy heart when she heard the doctor's voice through the phone.

"Next time, double belts in the car", Kelly announced ironically.

But Matt didn't reply. He had fallen asleep again. The doctor had warned them that his body was exhausted and needed rest. While the recovery was going to take a while for Matt, he was alive, and that was what mattered. What they had was the most important thing.

"I know what I'll do. With the money he gave to me: I'll buy double belts for his new truck", Kelly announced, making Gabby laugh.

"He's not going to expect that one..."

Indeed, Matt would not expect this gift. But at least he was alive, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

 **SO? What did you think about this OS? Please let me a review (even if it's to insult me) :-D**


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